Real Love Read online

  REAL LOVE

  Jeanne McCann

  iUniverse, Inc.

  New York Lincoln Shanghai

  Real Love

  Copyright © 2005 by Jeanne McCann

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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  ISBN-13: 978-0-595-34791-9 (pbk)

  ISBN-13: 978-0-595-79525-3 (ebk)

  ISBN-10: 0-595-34791-6 (pbk)

  ISBN-10: 0-595-79525-0 (ebk)

  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  Contents

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 1

  “Rhea, when are they going to be here?” Alicia bubbled with excitement as she glanced out their hotel window at the city below. She’d never been to Australia before and she was interested in everything. She’d taken several hundred pictures and couldn’t sit still for one minute. Rhea was tickled to death that Alicia was so enchanted with her new home; it made Rhea feel much better about asking Alicia to uproot herself from everything she had grown up with and move across the world. Rhea was still amazed that Alicia had agreed not only to move but had been adamant that it was the best choice for their future. Rhea had to pinch herself in order to believe that Alicia was really in love with her, because Rhea was completely head over heels for the tiny woman.

  “They won’t get in until late tonight, and we’ll meet them for breakfast tomorrow morning and fly out to the ranch.” Rhea Cameron, an Australian by birth, was equally as nervous to see her father and brother. She was finally going home, something she had been putting off for a long, long time. At the age of forty-one she was moving back home to help her brother run their sheep ranch, a sprawling five thousand acre spread. Giving up her life in San Francisco and her job as a pilot for British Airways had been extremely difficult, especially since she had just begun a new relationship and a very special one indeed.

  Alicia Manor was an exceptionally talented commercial illustrator and the love of her life. They had met at an art showing, one that Rhea had been dragged to by a woman she had been dating for several months. She had been unhappy with the relationship and it had cooled quickly, but they still went out occasionally.

  The fact that her first weekend off in five weeks was being spent in what she had imagined would be a boring waste of time, did not make her the least bit thrilled or happy. The art hanging on the walls was classified as modern meaning that it resembled nothing that Rhea could recognize nor appreciate. She was standing in front of a particularly disturbing painting, sipping bad red wine, and glowering. All she wanted to do was tell Tracey she was leaving. As of a month ago, their relationship was no longer intimate, and she knew that it was not going to continue beyond tonight. Tracey was not a woman that Rhea could trust, and trust was everything. The fact that Tracey had been sleeping with another woman at the same time she was sleeping with Rhea was a huge factor. When Rhea had found out, Tracey had just laughed and told her to lighten up. Rhea had known from that moment on that she could not continue to see Tracey and sleep with her. She would have liked trying to remain friends with Tracey, but that was proving to be difficult. Rhea didn’t like her cavalier attitude toward women and sex.

  “Art is supposed to invoke emotion in people, but I don’t think the artist expected complete disgust.” A low, throaty voice laced with humor and a slight southern accent interrupted Rhea’s thoughts about making a quick escape. She turned to look at the woman who stood to her right and was struck blind, deaf, and dumb. Rhea had never experienced such a strong physical reaction to a woman quite like the one she was experiencing now. Her skin tingled and her heart pounded. She felt her thighs tremble as she gazed at the sexiest face she’d ever seen.

  Dark blue eyes, large and full of fun, encircled by long blond eyelashes, gazed up at her from a beautiful face surrounded by an abundance of blond wavy hair. Part elegant woman, part pixie, it was a face that Rhea found breathtaking. The woman grinned up at Rhea waiting for a response.

  “I’m not disgusted I’m just surprised that people will spend so much money on ugly art.” Rhea wasn’t known for being tactful, her thoughts and feelings were strong, and she had no problem expressing them, much to the discomfort of many people.

  The laugh that burst from the tiny woman surprised Rhea with its robustness, and it rolled through her body. She reacted to the sensuous sound with a shiver. Obviously, the woman wasn’t offended by Rhea’s comment. “I’ll have to let Stephanie know what your reaction to her art is. She appreciates knowing that she has struck a chord with people.”

  “You know the artist?” Rhea felt a little guilty about having made such a harsh statement.

  “I know her very well, but don’t worry she feels pretty much the same way you do. She can’t understand why people are willing to spend so much on her art. She actually thinks most of it is junk!”

  “Why does she display it?”

  “Because her agent wants her to and, as you’ve noticed, she makes a great deal of money selling it,” Alicia teased the tall, striking woman standing next to her. She was very appealing glowering at the painting, her long black hair loose and falling in a shiny cascade to her hips. Alicia had a weakness for tall women with long hair. “I should introduce myself. I’m Alicia Manor.”

  “Hello, I’m Rhea Cameron. Are you an artist?”

  “I am. Are you British? You have a wonderful way of speaking.”

  “No, I’m Australian. Are you showing anything here?”

  “No, I’m not showing right now. Why are you here?”

  “I’m on a date, sort of.”

  “Where is he?” Alicia was disappointed. She had felt something when the woman had looked at her. She would have sworn that she was a lesbian.

  “She’s over there flirting with the tall, bohemian artist,” Rhea commented with a flip of her head.

  Alicia turned and laughter once again bubbled out of her. “Obviously your date isn’t averse to buying ugly art! That’s Stephanie, the reigning artist.”

  “I think my date is more interested in the artist’s body than the artwork.”

  “I thought you said you were on a date!” Her tone was glacial, her eyes fierce.

  “We are, but that’s never stopped Tracey from looking around, especially since we’re going out only as friends.”

  “You’re kidding!” Alicia was a little surprised at Rhea’s casual attitude. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

  “It would if we had a relationship. We just go out together once in awh
ile to keep in touch. There’s nothing more than friendship between the two of us. How do you know Stephanie?”

  “She was my first girlfriend many years ago, and we’ve stayed friends. I always come to her showings.”

  Alicia and Rhea watched as Stephanie and Tracey didn’t hide the fact that they were interested in each other. Their bodies were almost occupying the same space, their hands frequently touching.

  “It looks like I’m going to need a ride home,” Alicia commented, turning back to Rhea, a slight smile on her face.

  “I have my car, and I can give you a ride. In fact, I’d like to get out of here soon. Do you have any objections to leaving early?”

  “None at all, but don’t you think you might want to know where I live before you volunteer to drive me home?” Alicia’s face lit up with a huge smile.

  “Unless you live in Oregon, I’m not going to worry,” Rhea commented dryly. Alicia’s deep, sexy laugh made Rhea smile as once again it rolled warmly through her. “You have a wonderful laugh.”

  “Thank you. You want to leave now?”

  “I do, but I need to tell Tracey I’m going.”

  “I can tell Stephanie at the same time.”

  Slipping out of the gallery with Alicia had been the smartest thing Rhea had ever done. They hadn’t gone directly home but had spent a long evening talking and drinking coffee at a restaurant close to Alicia’s townhouse. The more they talked, the more Alicia intrigued Rhea. She was definitely a free spirit, and she dressed the part. She was wearing a long, deep purple linen dress. A brilliantly hued scarf, with swirls of purple, blue, and green was draped loosely around her neck. Long blond hair full of large, loose curls spilled over her shoulders. She was the sexiest woman Rhea had ever met.

  In contrast to this flamboyance, Rhea was wearing a sage green silk suit, tailored, elegant and tasteful. It fit her tall frame to perfection. She was five feet eleven and slender, her black hair the only unstructured part of her appearance. With eyes deep brown bordering on black, her face was as elegant as her attire. She had high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and a full, wide mouth. Alicia would have described her face as Reubenesque—sensuous and sexy.

  Over coffee, Alicia did most of the talking while Rhea found herself tentative and unsure, not her usual direct and confident self. It was obvious that Alicia was special. Two hours later, Rhea dropped Alicia off at her townhouse after agreeing to her plan for brunch and a morning walk on Sunday.

  It took Rhea all of one week to fall in love with Alicia, finding her laid-back personality and her delight with life and everything it offered irresistible. Alicia, on the other hand, had fallen in love with Rhea the minute she had seen the irritated look on her face at the gallery. Rhea was a down-to-earth, “what-you-see-is-what-you-get” kind of person, a bit on the pragmatic side. She didn’t always see the humor or the appeal of the unstructured part of life. The fact that they clicked was as much a surprise to Rhea as it was to Alicia. And click they did as increasingly they shared their lives with one another.

  For three weeks both women kept their feelings to themselves as they grew to trust each other. Alicia was a naturally affectionate person and she hugged and kissed a lot. Rhea was less physically spontaneous, but her attraction to Alicia was huge. They saw each other as much as possible given that Rhea’s schedule was hectic, though Alicia’s was more fluid. They had spent many long hours talking on the telephone late into the night.

  The first time they shared a kiss was exactly three days after they met while having dinner at a restaurant. Alicia had picked Rhea up from the airport after a flight and taken her to dinner.

  “Have I told you how sexy you look in your uniform?” Alicia commented, smiling at Rhea across the table. It had made Rhea flush and burn with sexual desire for the petite woman across from her.

  “You look fantastic.” And she did. Alicia was wearing a pair of slim black pants and a bright red tunic, her hair piled carelessly on top of her head. All Rhea wanted to do was touch her. Her eyes glowed with attraction, and Alicia didn’t miss the look.

  Alicia leaned over the table and kissed Rhea slowly, her lips full and soft, and amazingly gentle. Rhea’s fingers tangled in Alicia’s hair as she held her and kissed Alicia back, her tongue slipping between Alicia’s lips forgetting that they were seated in a restaurant. Alicia felt her heart shudder in her chest as she returned the kiss, caught in a passionate haze. The controlled and organized pilot was also a passionate and ardent lover.

  It was two weeks later when, aching with frustration and need, they made love for the first time. They had gone to a romantic movie, one Alicia had picked out. As they sat in the dark holding hands, Rhea kept glancing at Alicia, and her body tingled as she anticipated touching her. Both women were dressed casually, but even in a pair of jeans Alicia was exciting. Her jeans were faded and she had belted them with colorful cording. She was wearing a hand stitched vest and tank top. Rhea’s eyes kept returning to Alicia’s bare arm resting next to hers, unable to pay any attention to the movie. Alicia turned and caught Rhea’s hot eyes on her. She leaned into Rhea and whispered in her ear.

  “You don’t really want to see this movie, do you?”

  “I want to touch you. I’m going nuts sitting here,” Rhea’s voice vibrated against her ear raising goose bumps on Alicia’s arms.

  Alicia gazed sweetly up at Rhea and stood up, tugging on her hand. Alicia dragged her out of the movie house and headed for the car. Once inside she became shy as she stared at Rhea in the dark, her eyes locked on Rhea’s face.

  “That was a short movie,” Rhea commented, her eyes dark and mysterious.

  Alicia started laughing as she watched Rhea. “Honey, I was going crazy sitting next to you in the theater.”

  “Do you want to go back to my place?” Rhea gathered Alicia’s hand in hers.

  “Yes, I would.”

  Rhea smiled as she started the car and began the drive back to her condominium. Alicia placed her hand on Rhea’s thigh and Rhea jumped.

  “Sorry.”

  “Honey, don’t apologize, I’d just as soon pull over on the side of the road and ravish you right now.”

  Rhea’s dry tone and her delivery made Alicia giggle. “Ravish—what an appealing suggestion. I’ve never been ravished before.”

  “Twenty more minutes and you won’t be able to make that claim again,” Rhea promised her with a grin.

  Ravished was just how Alicia would remember it. Rhea unlocked the door of her condominium and, as the two of them entered, Rhea turned to Alicia. The look of lust in her eyes was enough for Alicia, and she closed the space between them, sliding her arms around Rhea’s neck. The kiss rocked them both, and Rhea’s hands quickly traced Alicia’s body before she lifted her up and carried her to the couch.

  “I’ve got to get my hands on you,” she gasped as she began to remove Alicia’s tunic. Alicia’s fingers went immediately to Rhea’s blouse and unbuttoned it, her fingers sliding against the snowy white bra that Rhea’s breasts all but overflowed.

  “Ah, my God...” Rhea gasped as Alicia’s lips nuzzled between her breasts while her agile hands unclasped her bra. Heat surrounded Rhea’s nipple and she cried out in pleasure while Alicia’s mouth covered her naked breast. Rhea’s plans to ravish Alicia were delayed as Alicia stripped her of her clothes and covered her body with her mouth, her hands touching every inch of her. Alicia’s fingers unerringly found her hot, wet cavity and slid into her slowly, filling her completely. Her mouth teased Rhea’s swollen lips as her fingers stroked her closer to orgasm. Rhea had never been so wholly excited. Her hips arched up off the couch as Alicia’s hands guided her to her mouth. Alicia’s shoulders pushed against Rhea’s thighs so that she was completely open to her wondrous lips. Sucking Rhea’s clitoris into her hot mouth was Rhea’s undoing as she shuddered and cried out before falling back, totally spent. Alicia gently let go of her thighs showering kisses on her naked body before gathering her in her arms and holding her tightly.


  “And I thought I was going to ravish you,” Rhea sighed as she looked up at Alicia, still fully clothed.

  “I’m looking forward to it,” Alicia responded, kissing her softly. “I want your hands on me, Rhea.”

  Rhea took her time removing Alicia’s clothes, savoring the healthy body of her new lover. Full, firm breasts beckoned Rhea’s lips and she suckled on both while Alicia moaned with pleasure. Alicia’s hands held Rhea’s head to her as she bathed her nipples with her tongue. Alicia’s sighs told Rhea what she liked, and Rhea took her time loving her. Her fingers traced over the slim muscles of her thighs before touching the very center of her to find her dripping with welcoming moisture. Running her fingers back and forth against Alicia’s swollen lips, Rhea could feel the trembling begin and she filled Alicia completely, drawing a shudder from her. Alicia’s body rippled around Rhea’s fingers as an orgasm welled up inside her. Rhea’s fingers filled her over and over as Alicia’s hips closed against Rhea’s hand.

  “Rhea...” Alicia tumbled as her back arched and she cried out, tightening her arms around Rhea’s shoulders. Rhea kissed Alicia fully, as she continued to tease her into another orgasm. Alicia tucked her face against Rhea’s, flooded with feelings so overwhelming she couldn’t speak.

  For more than an hour Rhea loved Alicia over and over with her fingertips and her mouth until Alicia was limp and sated, then they both lay silent on the carpet next to the couch. Alicia lay draped over Rhea’s body, Rhea’s arms holding her lovingly as they both recuperated.

  “So that is what ravished means,” Alicia’s eyes were full of humor, a rakish grin on her face.

  “I’m not sure what just happened, but I wouldn’t mind if it happened again,” Rhea admitted with an intriguing smile of her own.

  “Do you have a bed?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Do you think we could find it?”

  “I think that can be arranged.”

  Rhea and Alicia spent as much time in bed that next week as their busy schedules would allow. The more they made love, the more they wanted each other and, as their physical attraction grew, so did their feelings for one another. Both women had fallen in love, deeply and completely in love.